Hiring a content marketer – what employers want

We like a good hiring survey here at Firehead and have had this one from content marketing platform Kapost bookmarked for quite a while. If you’re a content marketer looking for a new job, its Content Market Hiring Handbook could be useful reading before you apply for a content marketing job or go for a job interview.

So, with content one of the fastest-growing areas of marketing, what exactly are employers looking for when it comes to employing a content marketer?

A clear signal that writing/editing skills are the most important quality in a content marketer for the majority of employers.

Journalism is the most desired degree (but experience is just as important)

The survey also asked about desired degrees and majors. A degree in English/journalism was the most popular choice (37.5%), with marketing/advertising coming in second (20.45%). However, 37.5% were looking for 3-5 years of content marketing experience rather than focusing on the degree.

What’s the pay like for content marketers?

Typical pay for a content marketer was:

$41.5k (£26k or €38k) for an entry-level content marketer

$60.5k (£39k or €55k) at mid-level

$103k (£66.5k or €94k) at director-level.

Other relevant skills

Other tips that Kapost report as desirable in a content marketer include:

Self-reliance and a nose for subjects people will care about

Baseline skills of writing, design, video production

Ability to tell compelling stories

Good relationship skills and the ability to collaborate across departments

A professional and up-to-date LinkedIn profile

Hybrid skills across old and new marketing tactics

Active participation in social media

Has a showcase reel of social/content/writing impact and analytics work